A Week of Making Cookies
and other things I want to do with extra time ✨
I find the holiday cookie season a bit overwhelming. In the past couple of weeks, I've seen many cookie swaps, endless recipe testing, adventurous cookies, and tried-and-true classics. This upcoming week through New Year's is one of the most disorienting times of the year, when any semblance of routine goes out the window, and it’s one holiday meal or gathering after another.
Since I spend the week with my partner’s family, I am not in charge of the meals or hosting, so I can just show up with a cute plate of cookies and relax - what a dream.
After much scrolling, I am listing the cookies I plan to make this winter break:
- of Bayou Saint Cakes - Coffee Digestives. Bronwen is an incredible baker and offers many of her technical classes online (which would make a great gift). I love the simplicity of this cookie and the freedom to decorate it. She even wrote up the recipe in a separate doc here.
Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze by Giada, brought to my attention by Kristiana Noel and made into the cutest squiggle.
I want to attempt these bow cookies by Lauren Dozier, but I’m intimidated!!
These Linzer Cookies with any Jam by
Photo by Sarah Copeland Sparkly Matcha Neopolitan Shortbread Cookies by Constellation Inspiration - I’ve made these before but never in this shape. I can’t wait!
When I’m Not Making Cookies:
I will go see the movie Queer, by director Luca Guadagnino of Call Me By Your Name
Listen to more of the podcast Acquired; I’m obsessed and have only listened to the Mars episode
I will watch this short film on dolphins with Theo and use his new binoculars
l will take a hot yoga class because it’s one of my favorite things to do when it’s cold
I will finally buy a proper Dutch oven and probably go for Staub instead of Le Cruset. I’ve been influenced that, apparently, it’s just as good for less. Discussed further here.
Gems of the Week ✨
We are fostering a puppy named Brioche for the weekend, which has been insanely cute. If you or anyone you know would foster or be interested in adopting, St. Mutts is an incredible, volunteer-run rescue organization.
I made a Galette with white bean and goat cheese fillings, topped with roasted onion, fennel, and heart-shaped beets. The recipe is posted here.
Cooked beans in a crock pot for the first time, I highly recommend
I went to a queer line dancing class with Stud Country
I listened to this speech from Joe Dispenza on Falling In Love with your future if you are into that kind of stuff.
Rusk Cookies by Clio 💖
When looking around for intriguing holiday cookie recipes for this newsletter, I reached out to one of my favorite local pastry chefs, Clio Goodman, who runs a shop in Gowanus, By Clio, where her pastries are delicious and inspiring.
She shared with me a recipe for rusk cookies, which she described as somewhere between a cake and a biscotti, and in Pakistan and India, it’s traditionally eaten alongside Chai. I thought these would be a nice balance to the overly sweet and dramatic Christmas cookies and go perfectly with coffee.
You can find her recipe here. I made a much smaller amount of chai mix but still have some extra for other recipes!
If you aren’t in the mood to make cookies or get the kitchen messy, Clio has her own line of cookie dough in unique flavors like Turkish Coffee, Date Walnut, Tandoori Masala.
Have a happy holiday week 💖
Thank you so much for this lovely shout out!
can’t wait to use our new
binoculars